How Is Love Presented In Othello

How is love presented in the opening act of Othello?

Love manifests itself in varying forms across Shakespeare’s plays and it is clearly prevalent in ‘Othello’. Shakespeare approaches the theme with the use of complex and adventurous characters and relationships, all of which feature love in different ways. The most prominent relationship that is featured in ‘Othello’ is between the eponymous hero, Othello, and his wife Desdemona. In Act I, their relationship is displayed to the audience primarily thorough the opinions of others, such as Iago and Brabantio, before Othello and Desdemona discuss their relationship in their own words. This means that the audience makes assumptions about them before they are introduced, highlighting the importance of pre-conceived

In the first scene, it suggested that Roderigo paid Iago to use his influence to help him with this issue. When he discovers that the marriage has been permitted by both Brabantio and the Duke, Roderigo goes so far as to say that he will ‘incontinently drown’ himself. This is consistent wit the major scene in Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ during which the submissive and heartbroken Ophelia allows herself to drown after having been betrayed by Hamlet. Roderigo also continues the use of insults in regards to Othello, calling him ‘the thick-lips’ when discussing him with Iago. This hatred of Othello and affection for Desdemona appears to have driven him to follow Desdemona to her home in hopes of winning her love, as Brabantio calls him ‘the worser’ and says he ‘have charged thee not to haunt about my doors’. This implies that Roderigo’s behaviour has made Brabantio very protective over his child; ‘my daughter is not for thee’. This rejection may be what tempted him to ruin the relationship between Othello and Desdemona, and he feels even more snubbed when his efforts